


Ensorcelled  ||  NCT Dream

by mainlymelancholy



Category: K-pop, NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Awkward Mark Lee (NCT), Awkward Park Jisung (NCT), Camelot, F/M, Innocent Huang Ren Jun, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan is a Little Shit, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, Lee Jeno-centric, Love Triangles, Love/Hate, M/M, Mages, Magic, Mentioned NCT 127 Ensemble, NCT Dream Ensemble-centric, Na Jaemin-centric, Park Jisung & Zhong Chen Le Are Best Friends, Soft Huang Ren Jun, Soft Park Jisung (NCT), Sorcerers, Swords & Sorcery, WayV - Freeform, Zhong Chen Le Needs a Hug, nct 127
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23266096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mainlymelancholy/pseuds/mainlymelancholy
Summary: [Camelot AU]In a land where magic has been banished, a prophecy tells of the end of hiding for those who possess it. Everything points to a young boy who will change the heart of the king - for better or for worse. Mare, tasked with ensuring the fulfillment of the prophecy, is sent to the kingdom of Camelot alongside Mark to oversee that everything goes according to plan. Having promised themselves not to intervene unless strictly necessary, their mission continues to complicate at they become involved in the lives of those in the palace: Prince Jaemin, Sir Lee Jeno, Lord Haechan, Jisung and Chenle of the royal court, and the young mage from the prophecy: Renjun.
Kudos: 6





	1. Through The Barrier

**Author's Note:**

> Camelot Identities:
> 
> Mark Lee - Mage (Protagonist's best friend)  
> Huang Renjun - Mage (Mordred)  
> Lee Jeno - Knight (Lancelot)  
> Lee Dong Hyuck | Haechan - Advisor to the King  
> Na Jaemin - Prince/King (Arthur)  
> Zhong Chenle - Stable Boy  
> Park Jisung - Servant to the Prince/King (Merlin)

Taking notice of inconsequential details had never been a worry for Mare. She was the type who knew snowflakes were all unique but never bothered to look at one up close. But now, saying goodbye to her mother, she noticed the way wrinkles formed on her forehead when she smiled and wondered how long they had been there. She wondered how many more there would be by the time she saw her again.

“Did you store the letter where I told you? Mare, if you lose that letter then you’ll have no place to stay and you’ll starve. On second thought, maybe I should hold onto it.” Mare’s mother paused, eyebrows furrowing. “No no, that’s not right. Then you wouldn’t have it by the time you reached Camelot and the trip would be for naught. Perhaps I should just come with you.”  


“Ma,” sighed Mare, “I placed it at the bottom of the sack, in between my nightgown and books, which are under the bread rolls. Just like you said.”  


Mare’s mother sighed, pulling her daughter close into one last hug. “Just make sure not to lose it.”  


“Ma.”  


“And I love you.”  


Mare pulled away and forced a smile. “I love you too, Ma.” The wrinkles appeared once again, weaker as a result of a fading smile. “I should get going now, or else Mark will think I left without him.” Mare chuckled at the thought of a confused Mark frantically calling her name where they had agreed to meet. He never failed to let his insecurities get the best of him despite Mare’s tendency to be late. If she made him wait any longer, he would most likely assume he was the one who was late and take off in a hurry; always quick to blame himself first. Mare couldn’t tell whether he was thoughtful for never seeing the fault in others, or an idiot. Probably that second one.

“Wait.”  
Mare felt her mother grab her arm as she was turning to walk up the hill and out of sight from the village. Their eyes met; her mother’s appeared suddenly fearful and stern. “Do not forget why you are there. I imagine that you’ve memorized every single word of that prophecy, but I don’t trust it. There will be temptations there that will distract you or try to lead you down the wrong path, but you must focus. Our entire future depends on it. I was hesitant to let you go, I wouldn’t have agreed to it if you hadn’t appeared in that seer’s vision…” Her voice began to break. Mare quickly looked away, not wanting to see her mother’s tears - they would only persuade her to stay. She heard Ma clear her throat and continue. “What I’m trying to say is, please be careful. They don’t like people like you. You must do everything you can to make sure you’re safe.”  


“And to fulfill the prophecy,” Mare added. Her mother didn’t have to tell her to remember why she was being sent to Camelot.  


“They could have sent anyone else, anyone…” Mare felt her mother’s hand squeeze her arms, leaving a light shade of pink on her warm beige skin..  


“Ma, they wouldn’t be sending me if they didn’t think I could do it. Besides, I have Mark.” This seemed to make the grip on Mare’s arm loosen.  


“Right, yes.”  


“I’ll write to you,” Mare joked. There was no way she could address a letter so that it would find its way back home. Mare’s mother released her hold on her daughter’s arm as a final goodbye. Having reached the top of the hill, Mare waved goodbye and began her descent towards the edge of the village.

* * *

If Mare hadn’t felt like she was being weighed down by the gravity of their situation, she might have found it amusing to play a joke on Mark, who was sitting against a tree with his knees tucked to his chest. He had been resting his head on his crossed arms when she found him, perhaps sleeping.  


Mare lightly hit her foot on his leg. “Let’s go, we don’t have a lot of time.”  


Mark looked up, startled. His eyes widened at the sight of his friend and he was quick to grab onto her leg before she could pull it away. “Mare! Thank goodness, I though you’d gotten lost, or maybe someone had captured you! I thought I was going to have to fulfill the prophecy all by myself… it’s too much pressure Mare, I don’t think I could do it!”  


“Relax,” she laughed, pulling her leg away. “We haven’t even left yet, do you honestly think I would get lost in the place where I’ve spent the last nineteen years of my life?”  


“Well, it’s happened to me,” stated Mark; his tone convinced Mare that he did, in fact, think that this compelling piece of evidence would be reason-enough for Mare to apologize to him. She decided it would be best to humor her friend, as he was the only one she would have for a while.  


“I’m sorry, Mark. I won’t be late next time.”  


“You said that last time.”  


“Third time’s the charm.”  


“You said that last time too.”  
Mare picked up Mark’s bag and hung it on her arms beside hers. “Are we doing this or not?”  


“Not,” said Mark, immediately countering his own statement by following Mare towards an arch made of slanted trees. Mare stopped, standing right before the simple arch. To an outsider, it might appear to be something unnoticeable, something made by nature only to be glanced at and nothing else. However, to Mare’s village, it marked the end of their safety.  


“We’ll come back, you know.”  


Mare turned to look at Mark and mustered a weak smile. “I know.”  
She looked back at the outline of trees and mountains, hills and river edges, all being left behind. It wasn't much, but it was home. “Here,” said Mark. “I’ll go first.” He stood in front of the frame and took a deep breath. Stepping forward, he felt a gush of wind hit his face as the spell ran through him. “Now it’s your turn.” Mare watched as Mark’s eyes scanned the forest behind her, looking right through her. She could see him, but he couldn’t see her; their village was protected by a barrier spell. She bowed her head and, slowly, stepped through the barrier, not wanting to see herself do it. Immediately after crossing she looked back; any sign of life from her home would be invisible to her now.

No longer being protected by the trees and mountains, the harsh wind of the desert rushed through the two young mages. Mare’s long, black hair covered her face, obstructing her vision. She secured it into a high ponytail, to which Mark responded by pulling on it.  


“I’ll be surprised if you haven’t killed me by the time we reach Camelot.”  


“Me too,” she sighed. With only clairvoyance spell to guide their journey, Mark and Mare set off to find the land without magic.


	2. The Gates of Camelot

By the time Mare laid eyes on the looming bridge leading into Camelot, she had already dreamt of it over a thousand times. At first, she was unsure of whether it was real, or a mere illusion. Perhaps it was her mind punishing her for not having packed more water for her trip through the desert. The look of relief on Mark’s face was the only thing confirming her thoughts.

“We made it,” he sighed, lowering his almost-emptied bag and dropping to his knees. Mare considered reminding him that they had not yet, in fact, stepped into Camelot and still needed to cross the bridge, however she soon found herself involuntarily following Mark’s gestures as her knees gave in to exhaustion.

“Not yet.” Mare raised her hand towards the sky to block the sun that had both guided their path and left burns on their skin. Normally, she would have had to do nothing more than to recite a simple spell in order to cure her sunburnt skin, however doing so would raise suspicion amongst those in Camelot. If not for magic, how else could have two young travelers made their journey through the desert and arrived looking pale and healthy? If magic were at all to be suspected, they would be killed before even reaching the palace.

Mare pulled her bag from her shoulder - considerably lighter now that most of the food it was designed to carry had been consumed - and sorted through different articles of clothing until her hands rested on a piece of crumpled paper. Upon feeling the sharp edges of its folds, she pulled it out; making an attempt to flatten it out.

“It’s all wrinkled,” said Mark, half asleep. It was a mystery to Mare how someone so young could possibly be tired all the time. 

“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed.” Mare’s sarcastic tone drew a glare from Mark as she place the mostly-salvaged note back in its envelope. “I hope this will do, Ma didn’t really mention what this guy is like. All I know is that he works as the head physician in the palace.

“Sounds like a fun guy.”

“Oh shut up.”

The pair walked over the bridge leading to the gates of Camelot, gripping their belongings. Looking nervous would only increase the likelihood of them getting inspected. Mare had been careful not to bring any magical artifacts with her, though entering into a kingdom where your identity could get you killed was never a reason to remain calm.

“Breathe, it’s going to be okay,” said Mark. Mare looked over to see his classic, enthusiastic smile. She could almost hear his laughter in her head, except visually he looked just as nervous as her. “How about you try breathing,” chuckled Mare, hitting his arm gently with the back of her hand. This seemed to brighten the mood a little. Mare looked up at the gate looming over them, the only entrance to Camelot (the only legal one, that is). The combination of brick and stone stretched around the whole kingdom, protecting it from outsiders. The vines and roots covering the sides of the wall made it feel ancient, yet powerful. Guards stood watching in towers peering over the stone barricade and cannons sat on the edges of the wall’s surface, untouched. There hadn’t been a war in Camelot for many years. The war against magic was the only one King Uther seemed to be interested in.

“What is your business in Camelot?”

Mare’s thoughts were interrupted by a man covered in metal armor. Mark became increasingly aware of the sword in the man’s scabbard as the light reflected from its sharp edges caused him to glare away from the guard.

“We’ve been hired at the palace, as the physician's apprentices.”

The man’s narrowing eyes sent chills down Mare’s spine despite her inability to see through his helmet. Camelot was infamous for not taking kindly to outsiders. “Where’s your proof?”

“We have legal documentation,” blurted Mark, almost too quickly. Before the guard could ask any follow-up questions, Mare held the letter in her hand out towards the guard. He took it, read it, and handed it back.

“Don’t cause any trouble.”

“We won’t, sir.”

Reluctantly, the guard stepped aside, granting entrance to the two mages (had he known this part of their identity, this recollection of events would have unfolded quite differently).

Compared to life out in the forest, both Mare and Mark were not expecting the scene presented before them. Hundreds of people rushed back and forth in front of the gate carrying baskets of fruits, vegetables, animals, bread, and other food items that Mare couldn’t even identify. Their yelling over one another only added to the confusion. It wasn’t long before Mare’s head began to pound.

“How are we going to get through this crowd?” Mark gawked at the sheer amount of people brushing past them without bothering to look up. Suddenly, blending in didn’t seem like an issue anymore. “I think getting noticed is in our best interest if we don’t want to get trampled over.” Mark looked over to see Mare’s wide eyes scanning the area around them. “Hey, it’s fine,” he interceded, “just take my hand and we can try and weave through this crowd.” Mare was startled by Mark’s hand grasping hers, clearing not having heard his words over the ever-increasing noise. His grip was strong and forceful, as if he feared that Mare would fall through the ground if he let her go. She struggled to keep up with Mark, who was pulling her through what seemed like a maze of bodies. Mare didn’t know whether to hold her breath or gasp for it. She was suddenly thankful for Mark’s idea, since there was no doubt in her mind that she would have lost him had they attempted to get through on their own.

Luckily, the crowd didn’t seem to stretch further than half a mile. A woman noticed their startled expression once the two emerged from the other side of the chaos and laughed.

“It’s almost like you two have never been to the market before!” Though her laugh was in mockery of them, it was the first time she had seen a smile from someone in Camelot, causing Mare to relax her tense expression.

“We’re not from here,” replied Mark, immediately following up his statement with forced laughter. He continued to pull Mare deeper into Camelot, away from prying eyes. “Did Ma not warn you about something like this before we left?”

“She doesn’t even like the market in our own village.”

“Well, I’m sure she would change her mind if she could see the one here.”

It had only been a few days since Mare had last seen her mother, though talking about her made her heart feel heavy in her chest. 

“I’m sure we’ll see her again soon.” Mark smiled warmly at Mare, and suddenly she felt thankful to have her best friend with her in this foreign land. She squeezed his hand, silently thanking him for his comforting words. He raised his other arm and gently ruffled her hair, drawing amused protests from Mare. Mark let go of her hand and clapped in amusement, laughter filling her ears. He was the only one who could make her feel at home in a land without magic; without her mother. Mare pulled Mark into a tight hug.

“Thank you.”

* * *

Reaching the palace before sundown was easier than Mare had anticipated. The path from the entrance gate led directly to the North end of the kingdom, where a majestic marble palace laid looming over the maze of wood and stone lying within its walls. Mare had been able to see the top of the palace towers from the guarded gate, though they looked much more intimidating from up close. The two friends made their way up the large staircase leading to the palace doors. Men decorated in plated armor and different weaponry watched them from balconies and alleyways surrounding the front of the castle. The interaction between the guard standing at the doors and the two mages was not unlike what they had experienced earlier at the gates of Camelot. Except this time, the chills in Mare’s spine were gone. His tone appeared more inviting. 

“Ah, yes. We’ve been expecting you!” He returned the letter to Mare upon seeing the physician’s signature on the page. “I’ll tell the physician to come fetch you.” With that, the guard disappeared into the palace, soon to return accompanied by a tall young man wearing a long brown cloak. His black hair contrasted his pale skin, adding an aura of mystery to his presence. The man smiled upon laying eyes on Mare and extended his hand to shake hers.

“Mare and Mark, I presume?”

“Yes, and you must be-”

“Kim Dong-young, at your service. But you can call me Doyoung.”


	3. The Court Physician

“I apologize for the clutter, to be completely honest I had forgotten that today was the day you two would be joining us! Please, make yourselves at home.”

It didn’t come as a surprise to Mare that Doyoung had forgotten the date of their arrival after seeing the state of his living quarters. Empty shelves completely covered the walls; what was once stored on these bookshelves now lay cluttered on tables, chairs, and on the floor. Loose pages obscured the floor tiles, making it hard to move around the room. 

“Wow.”

Mare elbowed Mark’s side and he grasped his stomach, wincing at the sudden attack. The glare coming from Mare’s eyes told Mark everything he needed to know.

 _Don’t insult him, if he changes his mind about letting us stay here we’ll have nowhere else to go. Be thankful that there’s at least a roof over our heads_.

Mark glared back, though his confidence was not in the least bit convincing. 

“It’s perfect, thank you for letting us stay here.” Mare smiled at her welcoming host.

“Dinner will be ready soon, perhaps you could help me clear the table while I get everything ready.”

Mark began to assemble the varied assortment of chairs and stools from different parts of the room and set them by the table. Mare took the newly-dusted books from the table and placed them neatly on the bookshelves. While carrying them to the wooden shelves, one of them fell open on the floor. She bent over to pick it up, stopping in her tracks upon reading the words on the page. _Exponentia, incantatoribus_.

“This… this is a spell book.”

Doyoung walked over to Mare and picked up the book from the ground, closing it and placing it on the bookshelf. “You say that like you’ve never seen one before.”

“They’re illegal in Camelot,” stuttered Mark. He had stopped clearing the chairs upon hearing Mare say the word “spell.” The two mages looked at eachother with curious expressions before turning their gaze back to Doyoung.

Doyoung sighed, smiling. He looked at them as if they were children, barely beginning to ask questions about the universe that other adults couldn’t answer. “Unfortunately, that is true. Luckily for us, King Uther never thought to look in his own palace for magical artifacts when he set out to destroy them.” He looked at the book, and then back at Mare. “Perhaps you’ll find time to look through them while you’re here.”

Mark glanced over at Mare, as if asking her what they should do. There was no way to know whether the spell books had been set there as a trap to test how the two newcomers could react. Even less likely was the possibility that Doyoung himself had magic and had somehow found out that they did as well. Mare didn’t know whether it was better to play dumb in a situation like this or keep quiet.

They had barely spent two hours in Camelot and they were already on the brink of being discovered.

“Why would we want to do that?”

“Did your mother ever actually tell you how we know each other?”

Mare’s heartbeat went faster and faster, gradually becoming loud to the point where she was convinced it would give her away before her magic itself. The more she thought about it, the more she wished we would have asked her mother more questions rather than insisted she would be fine on her own. Perhaps this was a trap. Except her mother would never turn her in. None of it made sense.

“Do you really think that someone with magic would just happen to be born in a hidden village? If only mages were that lucky.”

“What exactly are you getting at?” Mark stepped between Mare and Doyoung. Mare could see that his fists were squeezed tightly by his sides, leading red marks around his hands.

“Mare, you were born here, in Camelot.”

The heartbeat that had just moments ago threatened to give away all of Mare’s secrets suddenly stopped without a trace. This couldn’t be true.

Doyoung noticed Mare’s uneasiness and explained himself. “As soon as your mother noticed you were different, she came to me. She doesn’t have magic herself, so she had no way of knowing about the village, nor a way to get in. I told her how to get there. Had she really never mentioned any of this to you?”

Mare was speechless. Either this man was lying, or her mother had kept such an important part of her past hidden from her. The most confusing part was that Doyoung had no reason to lie.

Just then, the pot that Doyoung had been heating began to whistle. “Ah, that would be the stew.” Doyoung took the pot from the fireplace he had placed it in and set it on the table. “Let’s just eat for now, and you can ask me any questions you want later.”

Mare sat down, disbelief written all over her face. Mark moved one of the chairs he had collected and placed it next to hers. All he could offer her in that moment was a hand to squeeze, though he knew it would not substitute for what she actually wanted: answers. Mark could already tell that despite their exhaustion, the two would not be getting very much sleep that night. 

Doyoung carefully poured the contents of the ladle into their plate; a mix of tomato, carrots, celery, beans, and herbs. Despite the meal’s stale presentation, the colorful flavor surprised Mare. The warmth was almost therapeutic. After having traveled through the desert, it was nice to feel warm on the inside instead of the other way around. Even if this man didn’t have magic, it was clear that he was a wizard in the kitchen (of course, a compliment like that would never be shared in a place like Camelot). Doyoung patiently waited for the two to clear their plates before continuing their conversion. He had most likely taken note of the hungry state of the travelers.

“I think I’d forgotten what anything other than stale bread tastes like.”  
Doyoung’s laugh was very open and inviting - almost vulnerable. It was the type of unsuppressed laughter that invited everyone who heard it to join. Rather than rolling her eyes at Mark’s indiscreet remarks as she usually did, she accepted Doyoung’s inexplicit invitation and joined in the laughter.

Doyoung smiled and put his spoon down; only having finished half of his bowl in the time that it took Mare to help herself to a second serving. “That’s more like it,” he chirped. “You’ve both been very tense since you got here, and you need to feel more comfortable if you’re going to take on this challenge while living in the very heart of Camelot.”

As much as Mare hated the amount of questions accumulating in her head and Doyoung’s indirect way of answering them with more questions, she knew she had to be careful with her words - just in case. She would have to put up with this little dance of avoidance and suspicion until she and Mark were sure they could trust Doyoung.

“So how exactly did you end up as the court physician?” Mare continued to stare at her spoon, which was now scraping the bottom of an empty bowl. While this made her appear indifferent, the sound of the spoon scraping shakily on the wood of the bowl gave away her nerves.

“I was the apprentice of the last court physician,” stated Doyoung. “He was old, and very dedicated to his work; refused any kind of retirement. Eventually, he passed on and King Uther was too busy trying to rid the kingdom of magic to bother looking for someone else to take up the position. It was easier for me to stay, plus I doubt there was anyone else more qualified than I.” Doyoung scoffed. “But don’t think I ended up here by mistake or by luck, it was Gaius’ intention to have me succeed him - if he ever retired. The spell book you saw was his.”

I saw Mark’s head tilt from the corner of my eye. He arched an eyebrow. “How would he have been able to find a book like that here?”

“Like I said, Gaius was old.” Doyoung stood up, took the book and placed it in the highest part of one of his many shelves. “And magic wasn’t banned until around twenty years ago. You do the math.”

“Does that mean you’ve studied magic before too?” Mare glanced over at the book shelf Doyoung had just visited, straining her eyes to read the labels on the books surrounding the spellbook.

“I hope you don’t mean to imply that I appear old to you as well.”

Mare’s attention quickly turned back to Doyoung’s amused expression. “N-no! Not at all! It’s just that-”  


“Either that, or you’re accusing me of partaking in something illegal, considering I couldn’t have studied magic at four years of age.”  


“No, I just mean that-”  


Doyoung waved his arm in front of Mare’s face, queuing a cease to her explanation. “To answer your question, let me ask you one myself: why do you think your mother sent you to me, of all people?”

Mare looked over at Mark, who was staring wide-eyed at Doyoung. He gasped, “another mage, in Camelot? I thought I might find a dragon before I found one of those.” What Mark didn’t seem to realize, was that he had just confirmed to Doyoung (and potentially those whom Doyoung works for) that the two of them were in fact mages. At that point, the mission had gone from trying to determine whether Doyoung was trustworthy, to hoping he was.

“Now don’t misunderstand,” chuckled Doyoung. “I have not practiced in many years. Yes, I disagree with the law saying that magic should be banned but I try to respect it. I would like to keep out of trouble if at all possible in order to continue my good work here. However I realize that inviting you two into my workshop probably isn’t going to do me any favors.” He paused to sigh, picking up the two mage’s dishes and then his own. “I know it’s for a good cause, so I hope you two will try to keep out of trouble. I want this law to be lifted as much as every other hidden student of magic in Camelot.”

_Other students of magic living in Camelot? Why would they stay in a place that considered their mere existence a pest?_

Mare wouldn’t have to continue wondering, as Mark had asked that very same question to Doyoung. “I can’t speak for everyone,” he explained, “but I assume some of them have family here or have some sort of duty to fulfill. There aren’t very many of us left, and of course I wouldn’t be able to point them out to you. One can never be too careful, even if it means keeping the secret from others like yourself.” Upon hearing this, the knot she had felt in her throat from the moment she had stepped onto Camelot soil began to loosen. If there were others who could survive for as long as they did, surely they could survive for a couple of weeks (or months, but Mare didn’t want to think about spending months away from home).  


“Regarding your question about whether I have magic, “Doyoung started, “I don’t. I studied it at a young age through the mentorship of a very talented mage with the intent of becoming a healer.” He pointed to a cabinet of medicinal viles sitting under the only window in the room. “My plan was to learn enough to leave Camelot and find a job elsewhere, though I ended up with the position of court physician and became, well… a different kind of healer.” Doyoung paused for a moment, as if doubting his own story. “Enough about me, though. I think we should talk more about why you’re here.” Just as those words left Doyoung’s lips, he heard Mark yawn. “...first thing tomorrow morning. I can’t imagine how tired you both must be. Besides, the three of us have got a big day tomorrow. It just so happens that you’ve arrived the night before the king’s birthday banquet. You’ll be introduced to the rest of the palace court there.” Mark smiled shyly, having realized how loud his yawn had been. “Your room is the one in the back, up those steps.”  


“Where will you be sleeping?” asked Mare. She noticed there were no other doors in the little workshop besides the one leading into the palace corridors.  


Doyoung chuckled. “Forgive me. What I meant is that _my_ room, which you two will be using, is the one in the back. I’ve made some space for myself behind my desk there.”  


Mare looked over at where Doyoung was gesturing to see a thin, stained mattress resting on the stone floor with a single blanket and pillow folded on the side. “Thanks,” she mustered, feeling embarrassed to have made their host give up his own room.  


“Couldn’t have you living in one of the guest chambers where I couldn’t keep an eye on you, ya see,” he reasoned. “Your mother would be less merciful than the guards if we were to be discovered.”  


Mark gulped, clearly having acquired a newfound fear of my mother. “Thank you sir- er, Doyoung.” Doyoung smiled and continued clearing the table. 

Mark closed the door behind him, and I dropped my bag on the foot of the bed ( _the_ bed. As in, there was only one bed). “I’ll take the floor,” said Mark, already straining to lower himself to the ground. The beating we had taken from walking under the desert sun for that many days was no joke. “It won’t be any different from the trip here, anyways.”  


“Except for the roof over our heads.” Suddenly, sleeping on a worn bed seemed like the best possible way to end the night. “Thanks Mark.” The lack of response was only to be expected, as Mark’s head was already resting on the back side of his bag.

Mare sat on the bed, its old wooden frame creaking from the strain. The small amount of light illuminating the silhouette of the objects in the room came from the small round window resting beside the bed - from which the moon could be observed. It was hard for Mare to believe that she was staring at the same moon that had loomed over her back in the village. Nothing about it seemed the same; back home she hadn’t even had a window to view it from. She sighed, resting her head on the dusty pillow Doyoung had so graciously allowed her to borrow. Mare wondered how it could be so dusty as if unused, considering Doyoung hadn’t even realized that she and Mark would be arriving today. Perhaps news of the prophecy had led to a few sleepless nights for him as well. As her eyes began to close, she remembered something Doyoung had said.

“Not even a dresser, huh. This room is almost completely empty.” Mark’s sudden interruption would have bothered Mare if she hadn’t already been lying completely awake.

“Why would she not tell me?”  


“Um, well, I doubt your mom knew what the inside of Doyoung’s room looked like. How could she know he wouldn’t have a dresser?”  


“Not that, Mark. Why wouldn’t she tell me I was born in Camelot? I mean, she never told me I _wasn't_. I just assumed I had lived in the village my whole life.”  


“Maybe she was afraid you would want to come back here. It’s dangerous.”  


“It doesn’t matter anyways; we’re here now, aren’t we? We’re in danger nonetheless.” Mare paused. “Or maybe she was afraid I would ask more questions that she didn’t want to answer.”  


“Like what?”  


“Like what actually happened to my father.”

Silence filled the room. Mark spoke up after a couple of minutes, clearly afraid to poke further at the thought. “Like you said, we’re here now. That’s what matters.”  


“Yeah,” said Mare dryly. “Goodnight Mark.”  


“Goodnight Mare.”

It was difficult for Mare to identify the reason for her unrest. Perhaps it was from fear of what was to come, or the stiffness of the mattress. Either way, her constant movement and shuffling from one side to the other was enough to keep both of them from finally falling asleep. Mare sighed, trying to adjust her vision once more to see Mark’s silhouette in the dark. “Got any room?” Immediately she noticed the blanket Mark had placed besides him, clearly already having guessed that Mare would find a use for it. She quietly got off the bed and placed herself next to Mark on the stone-cold floor; which was somehow more comfortable for the time being. Though she was facing Mark’s back, she could hear his breathing slow.

“It’ll be okay, we’re safe here.”  


“At least for tonight.”  


“Yeah, at least for tonight.”


End file.
